Week 12...

This was the first week I got to view some of my peers microteach sessions. The variety of subjects presented was amazing and the effort Karen had gone to in setting up the learning space for her napkin folding presentation was fantastic. Everybody had the opportunity to try some napkin folding and had something to take away.

Afeefa had also brought an amazing collection of models and provided a very interactive session. I think that for some in the group this proved to be a little over-stimulating as there was a couple of times where Afeefa lost control of the group, with some learners (quite rudely, in my opinion) holding their own conversations while Afeefa was attempting to address the group.

I recognise this could be a challenge in my own session, which is scheduled in for next week. And I still have so much preparation to do!

Being able to review and assess the work of my peers is providing me with an amazing opportunity to fine-tune my own microteach session; ideas and approaches I hadn't considered and things that could go wrong.

Week 11...

Due to a severe migraine I was unable attend the session this week, meaning I missed the first of the microteach sessions; something I feel very badly about.

Looking back to the group presentation, I recognise that peer assessment is invaluable in one's development as a teacher. I strongly regret not being able to help my peers with this and hope that there is still a good turn out when I present my own microteach session.

I have decided on the subject of juggling for my session, which I intend to have as an interactive experience where learners will have the opportunity to try their hand at juggling up to three ball after a brief tutorial delivered by me.

I intend to provide everyone with a pack of three juggling balls which they can use in the session and also take away with them as a keepsake, should they wish.

I am both excited and terrified about delivering my microteach session.

Week 10...

This week we delivered out group presentations for Unit 1. Jackie (my fellow learner, not the old tutor) and I had developed our slides independently and sent them by email to Halah, who added them to her slides and brought the whole document to the session.

Halah presented her slides first, then myself and finally Jackie. Our tutor had provided everyone in the group with peer assessment forms with which we could note the things we liked or disliked about each other's presentations. Our presentation ran far over the designated 20 minutes (almost double!), despite each of us attempting to plan out the time it would take to cover each of the assessment criteria. I honestly could not say how long my section of the presentation took as it seemed to be over very quickly. In hindsight, rather than just guessing how long it would take me to cover the assessment criteria (and thinking "it'll be alright on the night") I should have actually practiced it beforehand.

All things considered, after reviewing the feedback from my peer assessment forms I think it went pretty well. My feelings that my personal experience evidence was strong seems mostly to be reflected in the comments from my peers. I was particularly happy to read some positive comments about how I delivered my part of the presentation, such as being clear and maintaining good eye-contact as I wasn't sure if I had succeeded with this at the time.

I certainly feel that I have learned a lot from this unit and intend to use the experience and the feedback I have received towards my microteach session (when I finally decide what I am going to do!).

Week 9...

Today we were given some more information about what is expected in Units 4 and 5 of the course. I have still not decided what subject to cover for my microteach session (Unit 4) though I am leaning towards a juggling presentation. My skill in this juggling is limited - amateur at best -  though I cannot think of anything in my professional role that I could deliver in a 20 minute presentation.

I didn't get the opportunity to discuss this with the tutor this week. We have quite a large group, even though a couple of people have already decided to leave the course and begin it again in January. I recognise from my own experience that teaching a group with too many people in it can mean that it it difficult to ensure that all the learners receive the necessary attention. That being said, I do need to make an effort to speak with the tutor in more detail soon.

Week 8...

This was our first week back in after the half-term break, and an additional week off due to our tutor being off sick. Upon our return we were greeted by a new tutor, Julie, who advised us that our old tutor (Jackie) no longer worked for the college and that Julie would be delivering the course for the remainder of its duration (this would also explain why I wasn't getting a reply to my emails and why I had been removed from the course Google group). No other information was provided, but Julie advised us that we could stay to work on our presentations or go leave if we wished to do research at home or in the library, etc.

I don't know what this change will mean for how the course will run from now. On the one hand I am nervous as some of the details we were given about Unit 1, such as not having to cover all of the assessment criteria individually, may actually be incorrect. Also, the content of the presentation slides may have been mis-advised to us. This is really not what I needed to hear when I already have my doubts about how the course has been going for me.

That said, many others in the group have taken the opportunity the speak up about how they have been feeling, which turns out to be similar to myself and actually makes me feel a bit better (in that there has been issues with how the course has been delivered and it's not that I have just misunderstood the material so far). Also, in the space of the lesson, Julie came across as a far more articulate and engaging tutor and immediately provided some good sources for research, further putting my mind at ease.

I suppose I will find out over the remaining weeks if the course has improved.

Week 6...

This week was focused primarily on working on the group presentation for Unit 1. Within our group of three we had previously agreed to divide the assessment criteria up equally between us. I will be presenting assessment criteria 1.4 (Explain why it is so important to identify and meet individual learner needs), 2.1 (Explain ways to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment) and 2.2 (Explain why it is important to promote appropriate behaviour and respect for others).

Already I am beginning to think of experiences from my work which I will be able to use to illustrate the points I will be making. I like this part of the course, as it is requiring me to reflect on my career as a trainer and be analytical about my experiences. I do feel that reflection allows a teacher to consider ways to improve the learning experience, and anything that encourages me to be more conscious of my work can only be a good thing.

That said, I am not entirely convinced about the method of presentation or this unit. Certainly, being able to stand in front of the group and deliver the presentation provides invaluable experience, particularly for those in the group who have not had such experience before for whom such an activity could be challenging. However, we have been instructed that the powerpoint part of the presentation should avoid bullet points and rather be written in a more long-form style. In my area of work, extensive presentations are often referred to as "death by powerpoint" as such a dry method of teaching usually means that learners switch off. Having a visual cue can be helpful, but surely a written report (much like that required for the microteach) would be more effective? Further, would I not be required to demonstrate that I have understood the other assessment criteria as well, or is it assumed that as a group we have shared the development of the presentation?

More questions than answers at this point.

Week 5...

Hmm. I don't really feel as though there was an awful lot learned in this lesson. It has been a long time (fifteen years) since I was in formal education so I recognise that things may have changed, and that in an adult course such as this we, as learners, are expected to do much of our own research. However I am finding that the current teaching style adopted by our tutor - of delivering the subject material in a lecture-style - sits at odds with what I believe are my personal learning styles (primarily kinaesthetic / secondarily visual).

When researching the course I gathered the impression that this was basic introduction to teaching, with the assumption that learners my have no prior teaching experience, though I now recognise this may have been my own folly - much of the material seems quite advanced to me!

Already in this course there has been much talk about learning styles and differentiation, which I have learned a little about when I have been trained in various employment roles I have held, though when delivering training myself these considerations have largely been made for me by the training designer. I feel that some demonstration of these considerations would help me. Okay, so we're talking about teaching people who learn best visually, so why don't we use some more visual aids. There's a big electronic whiteboard and projector - a fantastic resource - in this room, though so far it has only been utilised to display a few bits of information (academic resources and the like).

Being a primarily kinaesthetic learner I feel that some more practical exercises would help me in assimilating the course information; rather than just have the tutor tell us about a teaching theory or practice and maybe providing a vague personal experience, perhaps we could discuss as a group experiences each of us may have had, or maybe complete an exercise on how different people react differently to the same stimuli.

I don't wish to come across as negative about the course and I have found, much like the weather, my feelings about this course can change week to week. I just hope that I can bring my mind around to the way this course is being delivered (though isn't that against the point..?).

Perhaps I should discuss this with my peers and gauge whether it needs raising to our tutor...